Brussels - Olympic high jump champion Tia Hellebaut announced her retirement from sport on Friday, saying she is three months pregnant.

Hellebaut, 30, said on her website that she is expecting the baby with her partner and coach Wim Vandeven.

Hellebaut won the European high jump title in 2006. In 2008, she first won the world indoor pentathlon title before upsetting big favourite Blanka Vlasic at the Beijing Olympics in August with a winning jump of 2.05 metres.

"World indoor and Olympic champion, it can't get any better, can it?" said Hellebaut. "I am grateful that I can bid farewell at the height of my career."

The announcement was a bad blow for Belgium, though, which lost another top athlete. European sprint champion Kim Gevaert retired after the Olympics and then world number one tennis player Justine Henin quit in May. (dpa)